Practice Management

Physicians suggest the health reform overhaul does not address the day-to-day frustrations you face running a practice and will only add to the bureaucracy with little financial benefit.

Understand how to bill inpatient services.

It's no secret that the workload for primary care physicians is increasing and that the current shortage of PCPs is predicted to escalate during the next 10 to 15 years.

Understand whether giving patients incentives for referrals is OK.

A hospital has offered to buy your practice. There's a conflict among the physicians in your group. Your practice is considering purchasing a new computer system. These are a few of the many examples the American Academy of Family Physicians cites that may require professional legal advice.

Learn how long to keepreceipt books and credit card slips.

Skill, personal interest, and economics are the main factors in evaluating adding any service.

Since the meaningful use criteria came out, many providers of healthcare have been crying out, "Not so fast!"

Understand how to process coding for someone with an abnormal Pap smear who needs a repeat test

Community Care Physicians, a multi-specialty group in Albany, N.Y., recognizes the value of integrating primary care with technology.

Determine optimum overhead percentage of gross income.

Blue Shield of California will post which physicians scored highly on evidence-based performance measures under a program announced in April.

Know proper procedures for becoming a certified coder.

Patients want it, you can bill for it, but you can't store it. It's your time.

Medicare is now telling doctors to update their electronic funds transfer information.

Know how to bill for glucose monitoring, penicllin shots and new patients

In order to successfully promote your practice, your marketing message must be crystal-clear.

In tough economic times, with fewer people seeking medical care because they've lost insurance coverage or they're hoarding spare cash, attracting new patients and keeping established patients takes on increasing importance.

Non-compete clauses are enforceable in most jurisdictions.

Fear of inflation is one of the leading topics among clients currently.

Ask what you are getting for your practice in terms of your future as an employee and your exit strategy.

Most physicians enter medicine as an ethical profession through which they can help people and earn a good income.

The rule of thumb for fair market value hasn't applied for some time, if ever.

Is your office space performing at its best? Try experiencing it the way your patients do, through the waiting room.

Goodwill value as an economic term, measured in dollars, is completely different from sociologic goodwill that you describe.

Although the practice of primary care medicine has always been fraught with change, at no time in history has what happens from here been more important.

Know how to process diagnostic tests out of the office, as well as discussions with a patient's family when a patient is not present.

In my years of medical practice, I have learned how to approach patients with an appreciation for diversity.

The electronic health record adoption rate in medical offices has climbed 3.2 percent since last year to 36.1 percent.

It's critical that developers or purchasers of electronic medical records systems consider more than billing function.